Data algorithms cover millions of grades from thousands of students. The Southern Methodist University, is one of a growing number of universities consulting the performance data of former students to predict the outcomes of current ones.

Many of the universities and colleges are applying the same kind of process tech behemoths like Amazon and Google employ to predict the buying behavior of consumers. And many of them have seen impressive declines in the number of students who drop out, and increases in the proportion who graduate.

The payoff for schools goes beyond graduation rates: tracking data in this way keeps tuition coming in from students who stay, and avoids the cost of recruiting new ones.

The University of South Carolina, IBM and Fluor Corp are forming the Center for Applied Innovation, which will provide tailored IT curricula and advanced analytic techniques for personalized learning.

The center will harness Big Data and analytics technology from IBM Research’s work to create customized curriculum for students. The technology groups students based on their patterns of learning and can “predict performance and learning needs, and align specific content and successful teaching techniques,” according to IBM.

By using advanced technologies and data analytics the collaboration will help students, educators and others in higher education make intelligent decisions that improve the student experience and enhance student achievement.

A teaching model that centres on student consumption, review, and then being tested on information is simple, but it’s also less effective than more challenging methods of teaching and learning.

Technology’s change on our lives and our culture both challenges traditional approaches to learning and creates new opportunities for active, lifelong learning.

Outside of the classroom, technology helps learning by doing what computers do best; automating processes and feedback that would typically require manual work. This is valuable when students need opportunities to repeatedly practice, and receive immediate feedback on that practice.

The greatest benefit of flipped learning is the restructuring of class time, which is more of a pedagogical solution than a technological solution. However, the in-class benefit is dependent upon the utilization of technology tools. So what technologies are necessary in a flipped classroom?

One of the most difficult challenges for some teachers to overcome is the mastery of a content creation tool. There are so many hardware and software options out there. Where does one begin?

Screencasting, Tablet Software, Document Camera-Based Solutions and Camera-Based Solutions are only a few solutions, but regardless of which techniques you utilize, here are some simple guidelines to follow for creating great content.

Done right, blended learning breaks through the barriers of the use of time, place, path to understanding, and pace to allow each student to work according to his or her particular needs. It preserves the benefits of the old and provides new benefits—personalization, access and equity, and cost control. The question is how educators can capture these benefits.

Too many schools have crammed computers into their classrooms over the years, with little to show for it. So, how to proceed? The first rule is simple: Do not start with the technology. Instead, schools should follow a tried-and-true design process to innovate successfully.

Teachers are a crucial part of the student experience. But to gain teachers' buy-in, schools must work for teachers as well, which is why designing the teacher experience is the next step.

Is Technology Actually Making Higher Education Less efficient?Professors grow weary of idea that technology can salvage higher educationThe Hechinger Report

It’s been a high-stakes bet. Universities and colleges are marketing themselves to tech-savvy teenagers while promising higher productivity and financial savings.

They will pour $10.4 billion into education technology this year, according to the Center for Digital Education from computers to in-class gadgets such as digital projectors and wireless “clickers” that let students answer questions electronically.

But professors say they don’t have enough help to use this technology effectively and haven’t seen results from it. “We are fooling ourselves that we’re getting more efficient,” said Karen Arnold, teacher at Boston College.

Scientific Peer Review Is Broken. We’re Fighting to Fix It With AnonymityWired

Have you ever questioned the claims that scientists make? Even if you haven’t, other scientists have. The problem is that today’s peer review is a broken process. Too often, errors slip through, and they can go uncorrected for years.

Analysis and criticism of the work of others is an integral part of research. The “papers” that scientists publish all undergo formal “peer review” before they are published, with the aim of ensuring high standards.

Anonymity is important for free speech, for academic freedom, and for scientific inquiry.

Online options are growing, and the classroom format is changing to incorporate the technology. Amid the shifting sands of online education, which trends can we expect to set the tone for e-learning in the year ahead?

There are a few trends on the cusp of explosive growth in the coming year. A new infographic from TalentLMS, a cloud-based learning management system, offers its picks for the top 10 E-Learning Trends to Follow in 2015.